Sam Mendes: It's Time for a New James Bond Director

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In this file photo, British director Sam Mendes poses at the BAFTA Los Angeles 2012 Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Nov. 7, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Sam Mendes is finished with James Bond.

The acclaimed British director of "Skyfall" and "SPECTRE" says it's "time for someone else" to take the helm of the long-running spy series. Mendes told an audience Saturday at the Hay Festival of literature in Wales that directing Bond films had been "an incredible adventure."

But, he says, "I'm a storyteller and at the end of the day I want to make stories with new characters."

There's been no announcement about whether Daniel Craig will return as 007 for the 25th Bond film. Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba are among his rumored replacements, but Mendes says lobbying by fans is pointless.